A Nigerian Army General Court Martial has sentenced a soldier, Azunna Maduabuchi, to death by firing squad for killing an officer without any just cause.
The incident happened in July 2020 when Mr Maduabuchi reportedly opened fire on his superior, Lieutenant Babankaka Ngorgi and killed him instantly.
Mr Maduabuchi, a private soldier, pleaded guilty but argued that his action was accidental.
Unconfirmed reports, however, suggested that Mr Maduabuchi had once gone on Away Without Official Leave (AWOL), an action that led to the stoppage of his salary for about six months.
The reports have it that the condemned soldier, who was serving at the 202-battalion in Bama, pleaded with the late Lieutenant Ngorgi, who was his Adjutant, to allow him travel to the state capital to sort out his salary issues, but his requests were repeatedly denied.
Fedredsnews cannot authoritatively claim that it was this issue that angered Mr Maduabuchi to kill his superior officer.
Eight prosecution witnesses told the court-martial headed by Arikpo Ekubi, as president of the court, that they saw the condemned soldier at the scene of the crime still holding the AK47 rifle while the late Adjutant lay in a pool of his blood.
One of the PWs said he saw the private soldier match past him, without complimenting him as his senior as he walked up to the deceased adjutant who was at that time making a call and summarily opened fire on him.
“After opening a rapid action fire on him, the soldier turned to face me and then raised his hands to say ” I have killed him”, the PW said.
The condemned soldier, according to the court-martial, failed to provide a convincing defence in his testimony.
“The accused person gave a conflicting narration of what happened, the President of the Court Martial said while ruling on the case.
